November 04, 2010, 5:00AM

Congratulations, winners. Consolations, runners-up. Two days after your victory or defeat, you deserve a good rest. ... OK, that’s long enough. It’s time to survey the political landscape and gauge the challenges ahead. A quick tour should leave the winners feeling anything but complacent. Central and Northern New York taxpayers continue to feel the painful effects of the recession.... Full story »

November 04, 2010, 5:00AM

The size of the midterm Republican tsunami had a lot to do with who came out to vote in 2010 — or to be more accurate, who didn’t come out to vote. In the presidential election year 2008, about 62 percent of the electorate voted. Young people, African-Americans and first-time voters energized by Barack Obama’s change agenda made him our... Full story »

November 03, 2010, 5:00AM

Syracuse, NY -- Andrew Cuomo glided into the governor’s mansion Tuesday with nary a scratch inflicted by his combative challenger, Carl Paladino. Cuomo’s real test awaits him in Albany. There, he’ll confront an immovable object, the state Legislature, and at least one immovable leader, Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver. (With control of the state Senate still unclear as of this... Full story »

November 03, 2010, 5:00AM

Former Republican president George W. Bush pushed for budget-busting tax cuts, fought two wars of choice in Iraq and Afghanistan on borrowed money, created a half-trillion-dollar prescription drug bill. And the $700-billion Wall Street bailout happened on his watch. But the record that counted for anti-big-government voters Tuesday was the president currently in the Oval Office: Democrat Barack Obama and... Full story »

October 28, 2010, 4:47AM

Oswego County, NY -- Selecting an Oswego County Court judge in this year’s election may come down to experience and a legal issue. The choices are a candidate with 20 years experience as a judge, though mostly not in County Court or one with more than 25 years as a prosecutor in County Court, but no experience as a... Full story »

October 23, 2010, 10:27PM

Oswego County, NY -- This year’s contest for the 48th district state Senate seat pits two candidates who squared off in 2002 for a state Assembly post. Republican Patty Ritchie, the St. Lawrence County clerk, is challenging incumbent state Sen. Darrel Aubertine, a Democrat from Cape Vincent, Jefferson County. In 2002, Aubertine outdistanced Ritchie for the 118th district state... Full story »

October 22, 2010, 4:08PM

Oswego, NY -- State Sen. Darrel Aubertine, D-Cape Vincent, and Republican challenger Patricia Ritchie have both picked up some recent endorsements as they move toward Election Day for the 48th state Senate seat. Here are the endorsements they've received: Aubertine: Local 1199 SEIU, United Healthcare Workers East; Manufacturers Association of Central New York and the Manufacturer’s Alliance; National Rifle Association... Full story »

October 14, 2010, 5:00AM

Maffei report card: Unpopular bills, big debt To the Editor: Democratic Congressman Dan Maffei is running for re-election in less than three weeks. It’s report card time. Our country is divided over a national health care law that now has 75 percent dissaproval among voters, but Maffei voted for it. We now have close to 10 percent unemployment that... Full story »